


Exploited

by Alisa_ce



Series: What could have been said [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Another Story Day 1, Another Story | Common Route, Doubt, F/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 13:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14403045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisa_ce/pseuds/Alisa_ce
Summary: ZEN: I think she is an innocent victim, wrongfully exploited.





	Exploited

Something is wrong. It's not supposed to be hard to realize, really, is it just waiting to be accepted as a fact. But for whatever reason her rational thinking is being slowed down, and she chooses to ignore it.

_I think she's a good person._

She grins at her phone screen and types a message to reply, quickly and cheerfully. The game is surprisingly fun. She really wasn't sure at first, but the characteriation of each member and being locked in an unknown environment as _she is expected to_ really adds the game realistic feelings, so it's easy to enjoy. Ray must have worked hard on it, truly. And now that she's got the AI to trust her to this degree, it can certainly be said she's been working hard today, too.

_It's more likely that she's being exploited._

Blink. She rereads the message a couple of times before hesitatenly sending her own, still questioning. No. _No, not at all,_ rings in her head and she tries to shake it away. _Why does this one bother you so much, anyway? It's just a game._ So she laughs it off and waits for the chatroom to close down, but the word is stuck in her head for the rest of the evening.

Exploited.

It's supposed to be something to laugh at, she thinks, in a way of how wrong this is in comparison to reality. It's a funny game. God, what can 'Zen' say, even? He's just a game, too, the phrase is written in his settings no matter who the player is.

_Exploited._

Ray would never!- she thinks instantly and bites her lip, sliding down the pile of pillows on her bed. In fact, she doesn't have a single idea on what 'Ray' would or wouldn't do. But he did prepare this sweet room for her and has been generally kind-hearted... No, Ray wouldn't, she assures herself. Ray probably would't even know what explotation is. Although that could as well be the very problem, in such a context.

Eventually she decides to make a call, just to calm down about the whole thing. Thank god the app has his number installed in as well.

'Ray, it's me-'

'You have read my mind! I was about to call you as well,' he answers right away, and she almost feels quilty to her own self for getting attached to the way his voice sounds so quickly. Gentle, quiet, and there was a bit of silly hope in her heart that all the affection in it wasn't an object of her imagination either, 'How is your day going?'

'I-I've been fine,' she says and nodds, for no reason, understanding completely that there is no way Ray can actually see her right now.

'Did my AIs say anything peculiar to you? I'm so curious, you can tell me all the details!'

'No, I don't think so... Mmh, yes, actually,' she tries to get her thoughts toone conclusion, desperately trying not to sounds as lost in everything as she does in her head; hopefully, the quality of phone call sound just can't show it, 'Zen- The Zen AI, I mean, he said something interesting,' she waited for Ray to hum on the other side and she continued, quickly, in a speed of one breath: 'Listen, Ray, I'm not being exploited here, right?'

Silence. She can't believe she actually got herself to ask something so stupid. Of course it's nothing like this, not at all, and she's being paranoid because of a stupid game, and even... If she is actually being exploited, openly talking about this is only going to cause her to be thrown into a worse situation. Silence continues for another moment, until she hears coughing from the guy.

'...Zen said it, huh?' he sounds...sad, and it's somewhat surprising, and she only feels guilty again, 'He's just a made-up personality, remember? It's not a real thing, therefore anything they say shouldn't be taken closely. I should fix this to make sure they won't offend you like this anymore... Please, I wish you could feel safe here.'

'I-I know!..' she says, before he could continue rambling. She knows that he can keep it going for a lot longer. Ray is a genuinely nice person, and he would make sure there's no misunderstanding. Ray would never exloit anybody. Not Ray, 'I just thought it was funny, I think... You know, how it's not like this in real life.'

'Yes. What those AIs know is a lie, the truth is completely different, that's what you should believe in,' Ray's voice now sounds weirdly insecure and a bit angry. She doesn't say a word more, '...I need to return to working. I'm sorry for leaving so soon since you were the one to call first, but I'll pay you a visit later in the evening, I promise!'

He hangs up. She stares at her phone screen for another minute before putting it away. She lays down with a mind still full of doubt, together with an excitement that can't be helped, because seeing Ray was something she's been looking for all day, it seems. His words aren't leaving her mind.

Something is wrong.


End file.
